Location:
Horn of Africa; in what is today Ethiopia. Oromia is approximately located between 3 degree and 15 degree N latitude and 33 degree and 40 degree longitude.
Size
375,000 Square Miles, or, 600,000 square kilometers; Larger than France, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium & the Netherlands combined.
Population
40 million; 3rd. largest nationality in Africa; single largest nationality in East Africa.

Friday, December 01, 2006

The Ethiopian parliament on its session of November 30, 2006 ratified a declaration of war on Somalia and Eritrea. Most surprisingly it took the unprecedented step of declaring war on the Oromo Liberation Front as well in the face of fierce resistance from the loyal opposition on the grounds that this would be an extraordinary act of criminalizing political demand. This reckless decision would undoubtedly lead to chaos in the Horn of Africa. The OLF would like to let it be known to all concerned that the Ethiopian regime and it alone, bears full responsibility for this debacle that has no historical precedent.

The EPRDF thrives on violence and cannot exist without war. Its belligerence emanates from a deep sense of internal insecurity born of its minority status and total rejection by the populace. That is why it has been terrorizing the peoples in Ethiopia to vainly gain their submission. After massacring innocent civilians in Oromia without any offense and filming the gruesome crime, the Ethiopian regime tried to blame it on the OLF. It mowed down civilians in Sidama, Shakka-Mejengir and Gambella with impunity. It shot and killed unarmed peaceful demonstrators in the capital in broad daylight and blamed it on the opposition. It shamelessly went on to sabotage the investigation of the incident to prevent the truth from coming out and avoid its culpability.

Moreover, there is no neighboring country that escaped TPLF/EPRDF’s belligerence. In an undeclared war on the Sudan from 1995 to 1997 the Ethiopian regime invaded and occupied the key border towns of Kurmuk and Gizan. It repeatedly deployed its troops against Kenya causing extensive killing, abduction and looting and in the process plunging the northern region of Kenya into pandemonium. From 1998-2000 the regime also went into a senseless war with Eritrea in which over 120,000 conscripts were sacrificed.

Chaos has reigned in Somalia during the last 16 years. The international community and neighboring countries have made several attempts to resolve the impasse in Somalia and end the unmitigated suffering of the people. Kenya, Yemen, Egypt and Djibouti have at various times made concerted efforts to deal with the situation in Somalia. None of these efforts succeeded in turning the condition around. As these repeated failures testify the search for the resolution of the intractable Somali problem from outside and by outsiders has not and cannot bear fruit. In fact, the outcome of all past foreign interventions, even humanitarian ones, ended up exacerbating rather than helping the situation. Such sobering experience should have cautioned the TPLF/EPRDF and its benefactors from undertaking a new futile military campaign in Somalia.

Before the limbs broken by the previous Ethio-Eritrean war have healed, before the blood that flowed like a mighty river have dried up, before the villages ruined by the mayhem revived back into their vibrant life, and before families distressed by the loss of their loved ones have been able to overcome their grief, it is regrettable for the Ethiopian regime to declare another war on Eritrea. The Ethiopian regime is once again spoiling to spill more blood while dodging acceptance of the international ruling that should have put an end to the nagging conflict. As a result our youth, our future and hope, are going to perish, once again used as cannon fodder and mine sweepers. Thus this is an action that need not only be condemned but also valiantly and fiercely resisted. This is not a sane action but rather a crazy escapade of a deranged regime desperate to cling on to power by deflecting attention from its mounting troubles at home.

No country takes the unprecedented and outrageous step of having its parliament declare war to deal with, by military means, a political problem between an aggrieved population and a government, which purports to rule it. The Ethiopian Parliament endorsed the regime’s declaration of war on the OLF while fully cognizant that OLF is engaged in struggling against a highly repressive and dictatorial system. OLF believes the measure taken by the parliament is a crime unforgivable in history. Those in the parliament who opposed this hideous act and voted against it have commendably discharged their historical responsibility.

The OLF began resisting the repressive policies of successive Ethiopian regimes long before the current forces in Somalia, on which the regime declared war, even came to the scene. The cause of the Oromo struggle is noble. Ending the repression, subjugation, and marginalization of the Oromo and charting a future founded on freedom and democracy is its cherished goal. It is anchored on respect for the right to self-determination, a right recognized by international law. The declaration of war on OLF, while fully aware that it is engaged in a political struggle to attain this just right, is thus an abominable and unforgivable crime against the Oromo people.

Dear compatriots of the indomitable Oromo nation!!The Ethiopian parliament that ought to have stood for the respect of your rights so flagrantly being violated has instead openly declared war on you. This would open the doors to hell and is an ominous menace to you and all other peoples. Hence we urge you to rally from corner to corner to frustrate this war of aggression--- a war financed with your resources and staffed with your dear children. It is therefore doubly incumbent on you to defeat this unjust war to spare yourself and others the prospect of seeing thousands of lives and property devastated, the dream of the new generation for a more peaceful and dignified life smothered. This is not a case where you can afford to stay on the sidelines. It is not a danger that you can dismiss as nothing of your concern. We have to all hold hands with all the peoples in Ethiopia and the region to overcome an aggression imposed on all of us by a bloodthirsty regime that worships war and abhors peace.

Finally, we appeal to the international community, governments, international organizations and all freedom and peace loving people of the world to help stop in the bud this ominous specter of devastation before it engulfs the region. We want to be on record to state that unless the dogs of war in Ethiopia are halted, the future of this already troubled region might go up in flames. Victory to the Oromo People!!Oromo Liberation FrontNovember 30, 2006

The Ethiopian parliament on its session of November 30, 2006 ratified a declaration of war on Somalia and Eritrea. Most surprisingly it took the unprecedented step of declaring war on the Oromo Liberation Front as well in the face of fierce resistance from the loyal opposition on the grounds that this would be an extraordinary act of criminalizing political demand. This reckless decision would undoubtedly lead to chaos in the Horn of Africa. The OLF would like to let it be known to all concerned that the Ethiopian regime and it alone, bears full responsibility for this debacle that has no historical precedent.

The EPRDF thrives on violence and cannot exist without war. Its belligerence emanates from a deep sense of internal insecurity born of its minority status and total rejection by the populace. That is why it has been terrorizing the peoples in Ethiopia to vainly gain their submission. After massacring innocent civilians in Oromia without any offense and filming the gruesome crime, the Ethiopian regime tried to blame it on the OLF. It mowed down civilians in Sidama, Shakka-Mejengir and Gambella with impunity. It shot and killed unarmed peaceful demonstrators in the capital in broad daylight and blamed it on the opposition. It shamelessly went on to sabotage the investigation of the incident to prevent the truth from coming out and avoid its culpability.

Moreover, there is no neighboring country that escaped TPLF/EPRDF’s belligerence. In an undeclared war on the Sudan from 1995 to 1997 the Ethiopian regime invaded and occupied the key border towns of Kurmuk and Gizan. It repeatedly deployed its troops against Kenya causing extensive killing, abduction and looting and in the process plunging the northern region of Kenya into pandemonium. From 1998-2000 the regime also went into a senseless war with Eritrea in which over 120,000 conscripts were sacrificed.

Chaos has reigned in Somalia during the last 16 years. The international community and neighboring countries have made several attempts to resolve the impasse in Somalia and end the unmitigated suffering of the people. Kenya, Yemen, Egypt and Djibouti have at various times made concerted efforts to deal with the situation in Somalia. None of these efforts succeeded in turning the condition around. As these repeated failures testify the search for the resolution of the intractable Somali problem from outside and by outsiders has not and cannot bear fruit. In fact, the outcome of all past foreign interventions, even humanitarian ones, ended up exacerbating rather than helping the situation. Such sobering experience should have cautioned the TPLF/EPRDF and its benefactors from undertaking a new futile military campaign in Somalia.

Before the limbs broken by the previous Ethio-Eritrean war have healed, before the blood that flowed like a mighty river have dried up, before the villages ruined by the mayhem revived back into their vibrant life, and before families distressed by the loss of their loved ones have been able to overcome their grief, it is regrettable for the Ethiopian regime to declare another war on Eritrea. The Ethiopian regime is once again spoiling to spill more blood while dodging acceptance of the international ruling that should have put an end to the nagging conflict. As a result our youth, our future and hope, are going to perish, once again used as cannon fodder and mine sweepers. Thus this is an action that need not only be condemned but also valiantly and fiercely resisted. This is not a sane action but rather a crazy escapade of a deranged regime desperate to cling on to power by deflecting attention from its mounting troubles at home.

No country takes the unprecedented and outrageous step of having its parliament declare war to deal with, by military means, a political problem between an aggrieved population and a government, which purports to rule it. The Ethiopian Parliament endorsed the regime’s declaration of war on the OLF while fully cognizant that OLF is engaged in struggling against a highly repressive and dictatorial system. OLF believes the measure taken by the parliament is a crime unforgivable in history. Those in the parliament who opposed this hideous act and voted against it have commendably discharged their historical responsibility.

The OLF began resisting the repressive policies of successive Ethiopian regimes long before the current forces in Somalia, on which the regime declared war, even came to the scene. The cause of the Oromo struggle is noble. Ending the repression, subjugation, and marginalization of the Oromo and charting a future founded on freedom and democracy is its cherished goal. It is anchored on respect for the right to self-determination, a right recognized by international law. The declaration of war on OLF, while fully aware that it is engaged in a political struggle to attain this just right, is thus an abominable and unforgivable crime against the Oromo people.

Dear compatriots of the indomitable Oromo nation!!The Ethiopian parliament that ought to have stood for the respect of your rights so flagrantly being violated has instead openly declared war on you. This would open the doors to hell and is an ominous menace to you and all other peoples. Hence we urge you to rally from corner to corner to frustrate this war of aggression--- a war financed with your resources and staffed with your dear children. It is therefore doubly incumbent on you to defeat this unjust war to spare yourself and others the prospect of seeing thousands of lives and property devastated, the dream of the new generation for a more peaceful and dignified life smothered. This is not a case where you can afford to stay on the sidelines. It is not a danger that you can dismiss as nothing of your concern. We have to all hold hands with all the peoples in Ethiopia and the region to overcome an aggression imposed on all of us by a bloodthirsty regime that worships war and abhors peace.

Finally, we appeal to the international community, governments, international organizations and all freedom and peace loving people of the world to help stop in the bud this ominous specter of devastation before it engulfs the region. We want to be on record to state that unless the dogs of war in Ethiopia are halted, the future of this already troubled region might go up in flames. Victory to the Oromo People!!Oromo Liberation FrontNovember 30, 2006

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Ethiopia’s War with Somalia: a gimmick to divert attention from Ethiopia’s internal political tension and human rights abuses. By Abdi Galgalo* - With the World focused on an imminent all-out civil war looming in Iraq and the Middle East at large, the warlords in the horn of Africa are gearing up to show the world the mother of all civil wars. Totally consumed by the Middle East crisis, the world has turned away from the Somalia crisis, an unfortunate development taken by Ethiopian government as a green signal to begin its adventure in Somalia. The U.S. is half-attentively pushing for a U.N draft resolution to allow foreign troops including Ethiopia’s in Somali, a recipe that may provide the full momentum for a grandiose disaster in the region.The Union of Islamic Court (UIC) that has now controlled most of Somalia has brought unprecedented peace and stability to the Somali people after 15 years of mayhem. Despite its apparent success, the UIC has neither been supported nor has the weak interim government been encouraged to work with UIC to bring permanent stability in Somalia. The reason is simply that the West’s policy in Somalia is predominated by their Islam-paranoia. Meles regime is effectively exploiting this paranoia and has been distorting the reality to make the West believe that the UIC poses threat of terrorism. What Meles desires to get out of creating fear is to be elevated to the status of policing/caretaker of the horn region, for which he anticipates support from the West that gives him the capacity to extend the horizon of its tyranny beyond the borders of Ethiopia.The tyranny under which the peoples of Ethiopia and the Oromo people in particular, are living defies the imagination. The brutal dictator of Ethiopia has gained notoriety for his violent suppression of dissenting voices, and the regime has been directly responsible to the genocide of the Anuaks, the Oromos, and other nations and nationalities of Ethiopia. This genocide is still ongoing. The minority regime of Meles Zenawi has managed to pull the wool over the West’s eyes while he was busy committing these atrocities. Genocide Watch and other widely-respected international NGOs have documented the genocide committed against the Anuak people of Ethiopia in 2003 by uniformed soldiers of the Ethiopian Defense Force[1]. On the 2001’s World Conference against Racism, the genocide of Oromos and other people was also brought to the world’s attention by the Oromia Support Group[2][3]. Other NGOs have also produced similar alerts[4],[5].The menace of the regime on the Oromo people has also been committed on the Sovereign territories of neighboring countries. The regime of Meles Zenawi is accustomed to violating the sovereignty of Ethiopia’s neighbors and uses its military power to intimidate neighboring governments into no reaction. It has been reported by various media that Ethiopian defense force has made frequent incursions since 1992 into Somalia and Kenya in pursuit of Oromo refugees that the regime alleges to be members and sympathizers of the Oromo Liberation Front (O.L.F) - a politico-military movement that enjoys support from the vast majority of Oromos. The Meles’ regime has cowed the Kenyan government to be complacent to the Ethiopian troop’s abuse of Kenyan citizens and in many instances, the Kenyan government has indeed cooperated in the rounding up and mistreatment of Oromo refugees in Kenya as well as Kenyans of Oromo descent. The Meles’ regime has gone as far as running the Kenyan court that was hearing the cases of Oromos. This testifies to the extremely aggressive nature of the Ethiopian regime in dealing with real or perceived dissidents that has clearly taken a form of ethnic cleansing. The regimes’ tyranny knows no national boundaries!The Ethiopia’s interference in the Somali’s affair may come as news to those who have never known the existence of a terrorizing regime in Ethiopia. After denying for so long the eyewitness accounts on the presence of Ethiopian troops inside Somalia, Meles Zenawi has recently acknowledged the presence of his troops in Somalia. His own sham parliament members were as oblivious as the rest of the world to this activity of Ethiopian troops. In his usual and blatant way, Meles zenawi, without consulting the parliament, has single handedly declared that his regime has finished preparation for official war with Somalia’s UIC.The war-cry of Meles Zenawi is nothing but a gimmick to divert the attention of the Ethiopian public and international community from the real internal political tensions to an outside deliberately created problem. After falling from grace, the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is facing immense resistance both at home and internationally for its continual atrocities against the peoples of Ethiopia. With an increasing unpopularity in the West, the Meles is desperately seeking a cause that makes him the West’s lap-dog in order to receive the support he needs to thrive as a tyrant.The fact of the matter is there is no tangible evidence that implicate the UIC as a threat to Ethiopia and the rest of the world. The UIC has given ample time for the world to realize their sincerity to bring peace and stability to Somalia. In a bid to show off their achievement, the UIC has recently invited U.S. authorities to visit the capital Mogadishu. Such a genuine gesture has been ignored and the U.S. backed U.N resolution is being drafted as we speak to lend ‘legitimacy’ to Meles’ regime invasion of Somalia to prop up the weak interim government. This news came few days after the Ethiopian regime declared its readiness to engage the UIC militarily. It seems that Meles Zenawi has once again succeeded in duping the West! Meles is not your average dictator- he also knows how to sucker the West.The U.S., the U.N. and all concerned parties should be awakened to the fact the Meles Zenawi is deliberately trying to create chaos in the region hoping to emerge as a stabilizing force. When his undemocratic nature is unveiled, Meles is frantically trying to jump on the “war on terror” bandwagon by fabricating fear. This appears to be his last token to draw off cash from the West to finance further massacre of the peoples of Ethiopia, and his main targets-the Oromos. This will undoubtedly prolong the anguish of Ethiopians, the Somalis, and all the people in the region. At a time when the policies of the West is being resented by people in the Middle East, the last thing the West should be doing now is creating more regions that are desperate and resentful. After failing gravely in the Middle East, the West should finally wise up on how they deal with troubled regions where tyrannical regimes have taken hold of peoples’ lives.* Abdi Galgalo is a graduate student in life sciences and can be reached at galgalo@gmail.com.References:[1]http://www.genocidewatch.org/THE%20ANUAK%20OF%20ETHIOPIA.htm

The government-owned Ethiopian Radio-Television Agency just reported that the rubber-stamp EPRDF parliament has passed a resolution declaring war on its enemies. A declaration of war on UIC in Somalia is not surprising considering there have already been indications to this effect. The declaration of war on Eritrea, however, comes as a total surprise. Even more astonishing is the declaration of war on the OLF and ONLF, which confirms the already prevailing impression that this regime cannot distinguish political dissent from external challenges.

311 members of the parliament voted for the resolution while 99 opposed and 16 obtained. All members of the opposition in parliament not only voted against the resolution but also vociferously opposed it during the debate. Opposition leaders, mainly Dr. Marara, Dr. Beyene and Mr. Bulcha, particularly opposed the inclusion of the regime’s political opponents such as OLF and ONLF in the declaration of war.

The opposition, both those in the political process and outside, have unanimously condemned the declaration as an ill-conceived adventure by the ruling party. In a statement issued yesterday the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy, which brings together major Ethiopian opposition parties and liberation organizations, said: ¨The international community should not pour fuel on an already complicated situation in Somalia by giving the green light to the Ethiopian dictator to take a poor country into a costly war with its neighbour igniting a larger and devastating regional conflict.¨

The statement went on to state: ¨At a highly volatile historical juncture when relations between the world’s major religions are increasingly getting sour throughout the world, at a time when there is a widespread sentiment and perception in the Muslim world that the Western World is becoming increasingly Islamophobic, Ethiopia’s tyrant is about to plunge the already volatile Horn of Africa region into total chaos by militarily interfering in Somalia.¨’

The Coalition for Unity and Democracy for its part also declared that this is not the people’s war but an act of aggression by the tyrannical regime of Meles Zenawi. The CUD warned that the only way to resolve the problem in Somalia is through dialogue and the participation of the international community rather than aggression by TPLF.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front in its statement condemned the declaration. It went on to indicate that it sympathized with the suffering people of Somalia in their difficult struggle to overcome unprovoked aggression by the Ethiopian dictator.

It is to be noted that the senseless Ethio-Eritrean war of 1998-2000 caused the death of upwards of 120,000. Analysts fear that the current conundrum could ignite a larger and deadly regional war engulfing Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea and other countries.

The situation in the Horn of Africa has been deteriorating at an alarming speed lately.

EthioTribune will continue to follow the situation and provide periodic updates.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Nov 28, 2006 - There has been much written about the events unfolding in Somalia with frequent mention ofthe Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and speculations on our position with regards to the events unfolding in Somalia. Hence, we would like to take this opportunity to clarify to the international community and members of the media our principled position on the Somali civil war and Ethiopia's involvement in that country's internal affairs.First, the ONLF categorically denies assertions by the TPLF led regime in Ethiopia and members of the media that ONLF military personnel are in Somalia. As a matter of principle the ONLF has never been and does not intend to be a party to the conflict in Somalia. We wish to affirm that the scope of our military operations is and will continue to be limited to Ogaden and Ethiopia. We further wish to make clear that the Ogaden cause in not a territorial disputebetween Somalia and Ethiopia but rather a legitimate struggle for the self-determination of the Somali people of OgadenSecondly, the ONLF strongly cautions the international community against permitting an Ethiopian invasion of Somalia as that would have dire consequences for the entire region. An Ethiopian invasion of Somalia will trigger a catastrophic regional war with massive lossof life and continued instability in the Horn of Africa for years to come.Thirdly, the ONLF wishes to affirm that we will not allow our territory to be used as a launching pad for an Ethiopian invasion of Somalia without stiff resistance from our armed forces.Fourthly, the ONLF bears witness to the fact that the TPLF led regime is in continuous breach of the arms embargo placed on Somalia and has been since the inception of the embargo. The current Ethiopian regime has clearly been the primary obstacle to the peaceful settlement of the Somali conflict for over a decade by actively interfering in the internal affairs of Somalia by arming various actions, training their militias and undermining through diplomatic maneuversnearly all attempts at a peaceful settlement between conflicting parties.In This time of increasing tensions in the Horn of Africa, the ONLF wishes to confirm that the people of Ogaden stand in strong solidarity with the people of Somalia to reclaim their sovereignty and achieve a lasting peace free of foreign influence and manipulation.Despite the Ethiopian regimes policy of deliberately undermining peace in Somalia, the ONLF urges all parties in Somalia to solve their differences through dialogue and recognize that they are at the threshold of a crucial decision that will usher in a period of sovereignty or foreign domination for Somalia depending on the choices they make.The ONLF will continue to support and encourage every legitimate effort to provide all necessary assistance to the Somali people so that they can fully grasp their political future into their own hands and move toward a peaceful, prosperous and democratic future built by Somalis and for Somalis.Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)

Monday, November 27, 2006

100, 000 Sudanese pound (around $50 dollars) fines for being in Sudan illegally. The Sudanese authorities deported so far no less than 500 Ethiopian via Metema. There are unconfirmed reports the Oromo origin Ethiopians are taken to Demazine province bordring Benshangul area. The reason of taken the Oromo origin Ethiopians to Demezine is not yet established. (Read more...)

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Dr. Negasso Gidada, former president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

"I believe that we have to prepare, and if things turn worse and we have to … declare war, the parliament should deliberate on it according to the constitution"Dr. Negasso Gidada, former president of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is now a member of the Ethiopian parliament as an independent. When last Thursday the ruling party whip in parliament, Ato Shiferaw Jarso, proposed the adjournment motion for giving the government the green light to go to war with the Union of Islamic courts (UIC) of Somalia, if and when the situation demands, Dr. Negasso opposed on the ground that the request and the way it was proposed to parliament violated the constitution.

Dr. Negasso talked to Bruck Shewareged on the motion and the implication for Ethiopia's security, should war break out. Excerpts:

Some parliamentarians warned on Thursday that the adjournment motion for preparation for possible war with Somalia's Islamic Courts Union could be misinterpreted for virtual declaration of war. How did you understand it? Is it a clear-cut case for you?

Recently, we see intensive propaganda on TV with respect to Somalia. There are many announcements, interviews with experts and so on. Given this and the announcement on TV on Wednesday that the PM would be addressing parliament, I sensed that something was coming. But that is not a problem for me. What bothers me is this: What is the content of this motion? The content is, "since they (Somalis) declared war against us, let us declare war in return."

The government made it clear that it will not enter the war immediately but it will deliver "proportional response" when it deems it necessary. Well, one way or another, it is war. If you put it another way, they are saying, "we are prepared for war. If it comes, we will enter the war. For this to happen, give us a free hand."

Do you interpret it as asking parliament to declare war?

Yes, that is the interpretation. If parliament gives consent to their demand to enter war whenever they see it fit, this amounts to a declaration of war.

During the debate over the motion, you objected to it on the ground that it violated the constitution. Where is the violation?

Article 55(9) of the constitution says that parliament declares war when the Council of Ministers proposes the passing of a law for such a measure. There are procedures for this. First, the council must come up with draft proposal. There are also other considerations such as new security measures or state of emergency. And from time to time, the progress of the war must be reported to parliament whose responsibility also includes whether everything is being carried out according to the law.

What the government is requesting is that since it takes time for the motion to go through all the committees, parliament should grant the go-ahead immediately.

If we respect the constitution, we should not give any place for precedence, ie, we shouldn't bypass the requirements or procedures laid out by the law of the land.

When you see who proposed the motion, it did not come from the council of ministers. It was proposed by the ruling party's parliamentary whip, Ato Shiferaw Jarso. This is where the problem lies with respect to the constitution.

Every country has the right to defend itself. But if there is aggression and we have to respond, it must be done according to the constitution. We shouldn't just give the government a free hand to handle the situation and set a bad precedent.

There was one example of such a precedent. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US, President Bush declared war on terrorism. And when the US invaded Iraq together with what they call the "Coalition of the willing," Ethiopia allowed its air space to be used by the coalition forces because we joined the coalition without the knowledge of parliament. This includes, for instance, the entering of the coalition's forces into Ethiopia for medication or other purposes.

This is a matter of our sovereignty. Either directly or indirectly we entered the war.

Another case is the warlords in Somalia. Up to June, the US and Ethiopia were allegedly involved in banding the warlords together and assisting them supposedly to contain terrorists. That amounts to joining the US war on terror.

In essence, are you saying that the Ethiopian government entered a war without a declaration by parliament?

Yes, it has already entered into a war. Again, recently the prime minister openly stated that we are technically at war. This is wrong. We just can't go to war by bypassing what the constitution requires. We shouldn't do it again. We must respect the constitutional order. This is a breach of the constitution.

Last Thursday, the PM told parliament repeatedly that we are at war with the Islamists even though we didn't respond. In your opinion, does the present situation constitute a war-like situation? And does it warrant the parliament to declare war?

Well, four reasons were given to justify it as a war. The first one is that they declared jihad on Ethiopia. But when they declared jihad on Ethiopia, they qualified it to have meant only on Ethiopian soldiers who entered Somalia. As for their declaring jihad on Ethiopia, I don't know: it could be a matter of interpretation.

Did they really declare jihad against Ethiopia and crossed the border? Is that the fact? I don't think so. As comparison, if you take the conflict with Eritrea, that country, in fact, crossed the border and took control of parts of our territory. But we don't see similar situation this time around.

The other thing that amazes me is that Ethiopia is under repeated attack from the Somali forces and that we are absorbing those attacks according to the prime minister. If that is the truth, then why did the government keep silent? An emergency session of the parliament should have been called and the problem must have been dealt with.

The second reason given is that the Islamic Courts are assisting and sending here anti-Ethiopia forces. This was not clearly explained. What kind of anti-Ethiopia forces are these. Are they snicking in Somali or foreign jihadists into Ethiopia? Or are they supporting and sending other local opposition forces such as the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)? These local opposition forces have long existed. Did they train and send fresh forces during the summer? Despite this, I believe that going to the extent of declaring war ought to be reconsidered. I don't think there is a situation currently which forces us to go to war. I see a problem with the request forwarded to parliament to give the green light.

But the way I see it, the motion is almost through as parties, in essence, agreed to pass it with consensus?

Well, Prof. Beyene of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) said that since his party did not deliberate on the motion, they may vote against it and their intention can be misunderstood. So they ask for more time for deliberation. Then it was decided that party representatives in parliament can iron out the final statement. My hope is that the motion will not end up in dragging us into war.

I believe that we have to prepare, and if things turn worse and we have to declare war, the parliament should deliberate on it according to the constitution. If the motion is passed in its present form which may put us in the middle of war directly or indirectly, then the parties are mistaken. When we say "consensus" in parliament, it practically refers to the decision made by parties. Those individual MPs like me do not have a voice. But as for me, if it doesn't follow the correct procedure, I will oppose it.

According to recent UN report, 8-9 countries are supporting the Islamic Courts. And if war breaks out between Ethiopia and the Islamic Courts, what would be the consequences or its implication for Ethiopia's security?

The UN report is not mentioned in our media. Many countries are listed in the report as having been involved in Somalia's crisis. Ethiopia is one. The report says that it sent 6,000-8,000 soldiers to Somalia. There was also the allegation that while Ethiopia officially supports the transitional government, it simultaneously used to assist warlords in Mogadishu. That has a bad implication for me. If we don't get involved properly in Somalia, it will foment the animosity between the two countries given their past conflictual history.

If war breaks out, the problem or threat will not necessarily come from Somalia only. There could be sympathizers here and they could create problems. Nowadays there is the threat of terrorism which you can not stop by military action only. There could be incursions and this is also not something which can be stopped at one stroke. This could put the country in a situation where there is lack of peace permanently.

I believe that if we solve our local problems, we would not give way to outside influence or interference. For instance, there is the persistent question of self-determination amongst the Oromo and Somali people. We must seek a political solution. The people must elect their leaders. The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and ONLF must be approached and their demand addressed. And the self-determination question must be handled. The people must decide that, not the parties. If it is done, then outside forces cannot take advantage of the local problem here.

By the way, the Somali Islamic Forces can raise their question of putting all Somali people under Greater Somalia. They can stick to their illusion as long as they didn't interfere in Ethiopia's affairs. Even they can't decide for the Ethiopian Somalis. Not even Ethiopia Somali political forces can decide the people's fate. Only Ethiopian Somalis can decide about their fate.

Any one can support the Islamic fronts. But if we can address our own problems, the support for Islamic Courts won't have an effect on Ethiopia.

You just discussed reassessing our local policy. But how about our foreign policy. How do we need to realign our regional policy?

Let me be frank. Europe and America have their own interest in the region, ie, securing a safe route for the transportation of oil starting from Suez Canal to the Gulf of Eden. We shouldn't be involved in their interest. We shouldn't burn our finger for the sake of others. In light of this, we need to carefully handle our foreign policy.

Whether Somali people must be administered by Sharia Law or not is none of our business. There are other countries like Saudi Arabia which is administered by Sharia law. And we have a relationship with the Saudis. Whether the Somalis want to be governed by Sharia or not, it must be left to the people. We should only be involved in matters that are pertinent to us.When there was no central authority or force in Somalia, the UN and AU molded the transitional government. When the Islamic courts began to challenge the authority or legitimacy of the transitional government, these two organization did not go to the extent of supporting it. They are insisting that they need to hold a dialogue and solve their differences. In this case, why should Ethiopia alone insist on assisting the transitional government. Sending troops in the name of "training" might create a problem for us. We need to be very careful. And the thing is that our foreign policy must emanate from our strength locally. And local strength comes when constitutional order is truly observed, democratic society is created and when solve our political problems.

In Ethiopian Reporter Posted on Saturday, November 25 @ 11:32:20 EAT by staff